Now that the foundation has been established to my satisfaction, I enter the final phase, building on the foundation to bring this painting to completion. This always takes the longest amount of time, and I proceed with care. I don’t want to lose the spontaneity I achieved with the previous work, but I also want to tighten up and clarify the elements into a cohesive whole. It is about balance and harmony.

I concentrate first on the larger buildings on either side, intensifying color, and lighting, bringing out details. Then I work on the buildings and houses in the middle distance, again bridging the space between the two prominent masses of shapes and colors on either side.

I work on the snow last. I want to have the mood, lighting and color all set before I tie it all together with the snow. It is this area that will make or break the painting, and it must be done with excellence and integrity. I put form and lighting in the snow using colors I used in the sky. I work very carefully and deliberately on the tire and foot tracks, slowly building detail.

When I am at this stage of any painting, I spend equal time evaluating and painting. I step back from the easel often, to look at each detail, each element and see how it all contributes to the whole. You cannot rush this. I add, then stop and evaluate, add and evaluate over and over, until I am satisfied this painting has achieved the vision I initially had for it.

I am very happy with this painting, I feel I achieved the goals I set for it. It was a great challenge and a very fulfilling journey. Thanks for joining me as I worked.

Now it is time to unify the rest of the painting by establishing the snow. This is fairly straightforward and simple, but when painting snow you must always be careful. Snow is a very tricky surface to work with, very similar to water in my opinion. As when painting water, you must be vigilant and aware at all times when painting snow, a misstep, and you can lose the feeling of the surface, and therefore the believability of the snow, or water. Once you lose that believability, there is no way to recover it, and the painting has failed. There is a lot on the line.

At this stage, I am looking to accomplish two things. First I want to establish the overall lighting and atmosphere of the painting, and I do this by repeating colors from the sky in the snow in subtle ways. Secondly, I want to establish the overall shape and form of the snow. Again, as in the previous step, this is a foundation upon which I will build the snow areas with additional washes of color. Because of this, I allow a good portion of the snow to remain white at this stage.

I work fast here, never lingering in one area, working with light and shadow, keeping the edges soft, using lots of water. This completes the foundation of the painting. It is a cardinal rule; without a strong foundation, you cannot build a strong painting. This is true for anything in life, not just art.

After the sky has dried completely, and the masking fluid is removed, it is time to establish the foundation for the painting. This is most important. I work from the distant back to the front of a painting, laying areas of color that I will build upon as the painting progresses. I work fast here – thinking shapes of color, not buildings, keeping it loose.

I also establish depth and distance by going into some detail in the background houses and skyline. The snow on the roofs of the middle distance buildings will be a very important visual in the painting, so I take care to render this area with sharper detail, but still keeping an overall looseness, remembering that I will build color and tone on top of this area. Equally important at this early stage of work is the unifying aspect the distant and middle distant buildings have. They are a visual bridge connecting the larger, stronger elements on each side of the painting.

This is a critical step in the painting, but it is important to realize that while this step must not be overlooked, it also must not be overworked. Time to move on.

The sky is always important in a landscape, and although I want a neutral, almost bland sky, I also want it to be a very strong and central element in this painting.

After I transfer my sketch to the watercolor paper, I block out the buildings and other essential elements with masking fluid. Now I’m ready.

Since I want a muted and plain feel for this painting, I will work with a limited pallet and for the sky, will use colors that will be repeated in other areas of the painting. This gives it unity and balance. I squeeze out Cobalt Blue, Indigo Blue, Davy’s Gray and Cadmium Yellow onto my pallet, grab my favorite large brushes, and then before starting, I take time to contemplate how the sky will look and how to achieve it. I believe very strongly in the mental aspect of creating art, it is every bit as important as technique and composition, and if neglected in any art, not just painting, shows as a deficiency very plainly.

One of the many things I love about watercolor is that there are times when you just have to let it all go and trust what happens, and this is very true of painting skies. After analyzing what you want to happen, and focusing this energy, you still need the courage and confidence to abandon control and let watercolor do what it does, according to its nature. I use lots of water, working quickly, keeping the yellow as a constant base tone, then washing in the other colors overtop. I want a seamless harmony of the colors, and I let the water and pigment work together to achieve it. I do not add unneeded color and do not force things, I let it play out, with confidence in the outcome.

Pittsburgh offers a wealth of artistic reference for an artist with my interests and style. The neighborhoods cling to the surrounding hills that overlook the city skyline, presenting unique opportunities for expression. I wanted a composition that embodied a sense of ordinary, everyday life and forms with a sense of the unique, the unnoticed, the beautiful.

Eye movement and composition will be important factors for this painting, as they are for every painting I create. I want the end result to draw the viewer into and through the painting, like they were walking down the street. I concentrate on shapes and the arrangement of shapes and color, reducing the realistic to simple abstract forms. While drawing, I focus on each detail, but never lose sight of the overall whole. I want a mosaic of shapes and color to flow through this painting, combined with strong eye movement and visual tension.

I drew many quick sketches for this painting, using overlays of tracing paper until I was happy with the composition, before working out in pencil the final or master drawing.

I proceed from the middle ground to the foreground, continuing the technique I used for the middle ground. The only changes are in the details; I put more definition in the snow and grasses.

The cattails and long grass at the edge of the pond present a challenge; they must be a strong element of the painting, but not overpowering or dominant. I worked loose and quick, depicting the essence and form, not getting caught up in detail. I kept the paint fairly fluid, blending colors as I applied them to the paper, not on the palette, and used quick, gestural brushstrokes.

I take time at this phase to frequently look at the painting and its progress, evaluating each section I have just worked on. There is a tendency to over-detail areas close to the viewer, and I did not want this. When I felt I had the right look, feel, balance and harmony, I laid my brushes down.

This was a very satisfying painting for me, and I am pleased with the way I met the challenges before me and the results of my effort, as was my client. It was a fun journey, and I am honored and grateful that you traveled with me.

Coming home from work about 6am one morning, I needed to stop for gas. I was not happy, the pricewas outrageous, and there was a cold steady rain falling, making the dark pre-dawn seem all the more dismal. I wanted nothing more than to get home to a warm bed.

The place I stopped was one of those big mega service in-out franchise places. Get what you need andget out, no personality but very effective. Bright lights and soft music helped ease the pain of the high prices. You know the place, we’ve all been there.

As I pulled up to the pumps, to my left I saw two dogs ,cold, wet and shivering , obviously abandoned, huddled by the pumps. I cannot express the sadness, the utter aloneness they conveyed. They were two, had been for maybe their entire lives, and now they were on their own, their future uncertain. But they stayed there keeping each other warm, waiting faithfully for their owners, the people in their lives that they had put their ultimate and unwavering trust in to return. Their sadness and resolve split the dreary darkness, I could not leave them. Their sorrow and uncertainty cut me deeply.

They were well trained and behaved, not a bit of suspicion or distrust in them. They reached out to me, probably the only person who had even given them a thought. They knew it was a desperate situation for them, but they didn’t know what else to do. They kept waiting, through cold and damp, no other alternatives. They would hold out hope that those who left them would return. The smaller dog, some sort of terrier was more outgoing; he (or she) came to me wanting contact, love. But he would not go far from his companion, a pretty black and white mutt that had some border collie in him (or her). I petted them both, trying to sooth them, to let them know that someone cared.

My heart sank, sank into darkness and despair. I would take them home with me in a minute, but living in an apartment, my landlord had already expressed his displeasure with pets. It was all about his assets, his rules. He would never see the greater cause, just as all the people who had pulled up for fuel and steadfastly ignored those dogs while I was there.

The attendant inside said the police had been called and the animal rescue league would take care ofthe dogs. We all know what that meant. I looked in those brown eyes, both dogs had them, and saw the utter realization that they were doomed, but they steadfastly stuck by each other, to the end if need be. They huddled together to keep warm, all the time looking at me with those imploring eyes. To see their eyes was to see creation-we are no different, we are all one.

Just then a couple in an SUV pulled up for gas. They were immediately totally concerned for the dogs, as I was. “How could someone do this?” While we all petted the dogs, they made the decision…”What will we name them?” There was no question they would take the dogs. Their compassion was like mine but they had the means to do something. By this time a policeman had arrived, and although genuinely concerned for the dogs, he could do nothing. But he allowed these wonderful folks to take the dogs, obviously going against regulations. I helped the people get the dogs in the back of their SUV. I’m sure the dirt and wet dog smell will permeate the vehicle for some time, but it didn’t matter to any of us. In a small way natural compassion, that which we are all born with, had triumphed, had saved fellow beings who were on the knife edge, cold, shivering and in despair. Their very lives hung in the balance, and we were able to make a difference.

God bless those two people who welcomed those two dogs. Their lives will be changed, but greatly enriched. We are all children of the universe, the same as the stars, the same as a common stone.

I waved as they left, then went to fill up my truck. And you know what? The outrageous price didn’t make a difference at all, it just didn’t matter.

The dawn sky will be an important element of this painting, for a number of reasons, but most important will be the lighting and mood, which will set the tone for the rest of the painting.

Before I lay any color down, I wash the entire area with a copious amount of clear water, and maintain that wetness, so that the pigment can flow in its own way

I work very free and easy here, keeping the wash very fluid using lots of water, but I also paint some areas of intense color as well. These areas of intense color will form the base light source of the sky, and will be a focal point to the rest of the painting.

I direct the flow and color, but I allow the medium to play its own part. This is the essence of watercolor. You must be flexible at this stage and respect the integrity of watercolor. I allow it room to be itself, but keep it controlled. There is no stopping until this stage is completed to my satisfaction.

After the first wash of the sky has dried, I add more color to the sky to create depth in the clouds. Again, I keep the paint fluid, but use greater control with the brush, pigment and water. This is a hard process, the margin for error is slim to none, and I must keep all three elements balanced.

Because of the perspective, I need some guides from bottom to top to unify the composition at this stage. I use the same colors I used in the sky, and I stay away from the rails, as I will revisit them later with a second application of masking fluid. I want them very prominent.

I knew this was a painting I had to create. It has all the elements of a great challenge, and with any challenge the risks are great, but the rewards can be greater if you aspire to higher goals. I feel that if you don’t constantly push your limits, you are not progressing in a positive way. It is said that “A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner”, and I adhere to that in my work. Besides, I’d be bored very quickly.

My friend and mentor, the late Al Dunkle, instilled in me an awareness of the dramatic possibilities of line and movement in artwork, and I will keep that theme constantly in my mind as I work and develop this painting. I want the eye movement to lead you into the depths of the painting.

To prepare for this painting, I did three pencil sketches, my final one is shown here, as well as a full color preliminary watercolor sketch to work out sky, color and light. Once I enlarged the master pencil sketch to the correct size of the painting, I plotted all perspective lines and angles to substantiate the design. Once I am comfortable with my preparations, I transfer the sketch to the watercolor paper and begin.

Please follow the progress of this painting, which will be titled “Eastbound”, by visiting my blog in the next few weeks. It should be a great journey.

After my evaluation, I determined that there was still some work to be done before I could consider the painting completed. The three areas I worked on were the palm tree, sand and shadows.

I focused on detail and refinement in the tree, adding or diminishing contrasts where I thought it was needed. I felt the sand in the foreground needed extra definition, but not so much that it becomes a direct focal point.

The shadows were the last element I worked on, as the color and intensity of them are extremely critical to the success of the painting. I darkened the shadows using Cobalt Blue and small amounts of Indigo Blue to achieve the desired effect, keeping some areas sharp, others more blurred. It is important to have the shadows strong enough in color and saturation to balance the strong visual of the palm, but not too strong as to be the central focus of the painting. From the start, the shadows were intended mainly for eye movement. Satisfied with the results, and realizing that any more work would be detrimental, I sign the painting and it is finished.

I have enjoyed sharing my creative journey with you, and hope you have enjoyed watching this painting progress. I will be doing this again in the future, so please stay tuned.

Thank you,

Bryce